The Guardians were able to go on a miraculous run and not only reach the postseason, but also take the AL Central title from the Tigers during the final weeks of the season. However, that wasn’t enough to prevent them from falling to their division rivals in the AL Wild Card series, sending them home just a few days into the postseason. With the offseason upon us, Cleveland’s front office has turned its attention to the 2026 campaign. If Zack Meisel of The Athletic Discussed earlier this week, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told reporters in the wake of the Guardians’ loss that improving production in right and center field would be a priority this offseason.
That’s not necessarily a surprise. General manager Mike Chernoff noted to reporters (including Meisel) that the club ranked 28th in runs per game this year, describing the offense as a “clear area” need improvement next season. Getting more offense out of the outfield should be by far the easiest way to do that, as the Guardians rank 29th in the Majors this year with a 77 wRC+ from their outfielders. Part of that is due to the left fielder Steven Kwan‘s down season, though he still posted a wRC+ of 99 and appears to be a pretty safe bet to head back to Cleveland in 2026 barring a surprise trade.
While there’s little reason to worry about Kwan on the left side, the same can’t be said for the other two outfield spots. Angel Martinez, Nolan Jones, Avenue ThomasAnd Jhonkensy Noel handled the most reps at those positions, and all four turned in negative WAR performances this season, according to Fangraphs. Thomas will hit free agency after this year’s injury-marred campaign, in which he played in just 39 games. The remaining three will all remain under club control next year, but none inspire much confidence heading into next year.
An opportunity for improvement could come from within. Chase DeLauter has not yet made his regular season debut but appeared in the Wild Card Series, and Meisel says Antonetti expects him to compete for a roster spot in Spring Training next year. Rookie George Valera posted a 113 wRC+ in 16 games this year and could get a shot next year as well. Perhaps an outfield with Kwan on the left side, DeLauter in the middle and Valera on the right side could be a godsend for the Guardians, but it seems fair to argue that at least one outside addition will be needed to provide some security, and perhaps to balance a trio of left-swinging outfielders with a right-handed hitter.
A reunion with Thomas is at least plausible, but he hit just .189/.258/.340 in 92 games with the Guardians over the past two seasons and a change of scenery could be best for both parties. Harrison Bader might be an ideal addition to the team, but it’s possible that his excellent work with the Phillies down the stretch (129 wRC+ in 50 games) has put him out of Cleveland’s price range. Rob Refsnyder And Austin Hays are both also available in free agency this winter. Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia and Astros outfielder Chas McCormick are both potential non-tender candidates who could also help improve Cleveland’s outfield mix with a bounce-back season.
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